Graded Exposure Therapy for Fear Avoidance Behaviour After Concussion (GET FAB): protocol for a multisite Canadian...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Persistent symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) significantly impair daily functioning and quality of life.
• Fear avoidance behavior is a key modifiable risk factor for chronic disability following mTBI.
• Effective interventions are needed to manage long-term consequences of mTBI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of graded exposure therapy (GET) in reducing persistent symptoms post-mTBI.
• To compare the effectiveness of GET against usual care and prescribed aerobic exercise.
• To identify patient characteristics, specifically baseline fear avoidance, that predict response to GET.

Main Methods:

• A multisite randomized controlled trial with 220 participants recruited from concussion clinics and emergency departments.
• Participants will be randomly assigned to enhanced usual care, GET, or prescribed aerobic exercise for a 12-week treatment phase.
• The primary outcome measure is symptom severity assessed using the Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire.

Main Results:

• This section is to be populated once the study is completed and results are available.

Conclusions:

• This study will provide crucial evidence on the effectiveness of GET for mTBI recovery.
• Findings will inform clinical practice by enabling better matching of mTBI patients to the most effective treatments.
• Dissemination of findings and treatment manuals will support widespread clinical adoption if GET proves effective.